Support for dementia patients

A support group, the Malta Dementia Society (MDS), is being set up on the occasion of World Alzheimer's Day today week to help maintain the health of patients and preserve their quality of life, among other aims.

"Dementia is all too prevalent in an aging society like ours, having an impact on patients, carers and their families," said society founder Mark Xuereb, a neuropsychiatrist at Oxford University, who is coming to Malta for the launch next week.

"It also has a significant economic influence on public and private services as can also be seen in the UK. Although there are many elderly-related services in Malta, none of them directly cater for this expanding section of the population," he maintained.

The idea to launch the carer group stems from the fact that there is "nothing like it in Malta, which is unfortunate given the prevalence not only of Alzheimer's, which tends to be synonymous with dementia, but of other dementias too".

Indeed, there are 16 - 18 types of dementia and, as the years go by, they tend to be reclassified, Dr Xuereb explained.

The philanthropic organisation aims to help promote the patients' rights and safeguard their dignity; offer advice and support to patients, carers and their families; encourage an inter-disciplinary and holistic approach to dementia; raise public awareness on the dementias; provide training to carers and health workers; foster research on dementia; share expertise and interact with local and foreign associations; help influence public policy issues and establish self-help groups.

Dr Xuereb is in the process of contacting the various homes for the elderly and related departments to set up a steering committee as well as the United Nations International Institute on Ageing, which is based in Malta, to establish a base and see whether they can assist.

Malta is not yet an associate member of Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) and Dr Xuereb intends for the MDS to join.

Oxford University is currently carrying out research on how to treat and manage dementias - of which Alzheimer's is the most common, but not the only one. He, therefore, aims to act as a bridge to raise local awareness and help foster research.

maltadementiasociety@gov.mt